Flexible metallic conduit



April 23, 1935. M. P; MCLAUGHLIN I 1,998,632

FLEXIBLE METALLIC 'CONDUIT Filed Aug. l, 1934 Peg- Apr. 23, 193s yFLEXIBLE mimmo commu` l Muon P. McLaughlin, wakenela, Mm. ApplicationAugust-1,1934, serial No. '131,908

2 Claims.

This invention relates to aflexible conduit adapted to withstand thehigh internal pressure of steam or other-,fluid conducted by theconduit, and particularly to a conduit for conveying high pressure fluidbetween -a locomotive and its ltender, and between railway cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a conduit of simple andeffective construction permitting desirable flexibility, and capable oflong continued use without necessity ofr frequent repair.y

Of the accompanying drawing forming a. part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing, a compact embodiment of theinvention.

Figure 2 is an vend Iview of the conduit shown by Figure 1. v

Figure 3 is a sectional view of Van conduit embodying the invention.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of thefigures.

My improved conduitas shown by. Figure l comprises a vertically-arrangedconduit member I2 having an outer end 'portion adapted to be engagedwitha, fixed member of a train pipe" lelongated line. I therefore call thisconduit member the fixed member.

A sectional housing member enclosing the inner portion of the fixedmember I2 is composed of an outer section I1 and an inner section I 6,said sections being separably connected by screw threads i8 and I9. Thefixed member I2 has between its ends an outwardly facing inner annularjoint face I4. The outer section I'I has.

an inwardly facing outer annular joint face pressed downwardly by theweight of the housing member against thefixed inner joint face I4 andforming therewith a running joint which permits rotation of the housingmember.

The inner section I6 ofthe housing member has an elbow-shaped conductingbore IBI constituting an extension of the bore of the fixed member i2.The `housing member-has an annular upwardly facing internal face I 5asurrounding the receiving end of the bore |60 and separated from theinner end face I5 of the fixed member I2 by an annular steam space 30,which lpermits a limited vertical play of the housingl member on thefixed memberV I2, and a relatively light slightly separable bearing ofthe outer joint face 20 on the fixed inner joint face I4. Frictionalresistance to the rotation of the outer joint face 20 and the housingmember depending therefrom, is therefore minimized, there being nobinding engagement of one joint face against the other sufficient tointerfere objectionably with the exibility of the conduit. y

Portions of the fixed member I2 and the housing member constitute theconcentric walls of an annular packing chamber 'whichsurrounds the lowerportion of the 'xed member, and is provided with outerand innerendwalls23 and 238;. The inner end lof the packing chamber is in communicationwith the annular steam space 30, saidjspace communicating with a crevicebetween the fixed member I2 andn a circular bearing wall -29 formed inthe housing section I6, In the packing means are included inner andouter compressible packing rings v25,25', and a compression spring 26interposed between said rings, metallic spring washers 28 bein'gpreferably interposed between the end convolutions of the spring and thepacking rings.

The inner packing ring bears on the inner y end wall 23a and on innerznesof the side walls of the packing chamber, while the outer ring 25bears on the outer end wall 23 and on outer zones of the side walls. Theinner ring 25' is exposed to steam pressure coming from the steam space30, and is movable by such pressure, and adapted to act as a piston to,move the lower ring outwardly, increase the compression or tension ofthe spring and thereby augment its pressure on the outer ring 25, sothat pressure is exerted on the outer ring to compact or solidify itagainst the outer end wall 23 and against outer zones of the side wallsof the chamber and thereby prevent the possibility of leakage of steamto the running joint.

'I'he compact conduit shown by Figure 1 isprovided at theouter end ofthe bore l|60 with a screw threaded socket 32 to engage a laterallyextending conduit member or section constituting an extension oftheconduit.

The conduit shown by Figure 3 is elbowshaped, and includes the fixedconduit member I 2, a housing member composed of the sections I6 and I1,the running joint faces I4-and 20,

'collectively constitute a branch portion of the housing member. |21"designates a complemental conduit member supported at an angle internalface 15b surrounding its bore and spaced,

from the inner end face 15 of the supplemental conduit by an annularsteam space 30a permitting a limited end play. of the supplementalconduit `member in the branchl and supplementalconduit `I2.-"I'hisconstruction permits a slight horizontal end play of the conduitsection |23, and results in a relatively light bearing of the jointlface Ill on the jointface 20, so that frictional resistance to therotation of the supplemental conduit 1 2" in its bearings is minimized;such rotation being required to a limited extent when the conduit is inuse.

A packingv chamber is provided in the 'bearing member branch I6"L Il",`saidkchamber contain-k ing packing means organized as shown by Figure 1and the upper portion of Figure '3, the packing rings being! designatedby 25'i and the intermediate spring by 26B,"

I claim:

1. A exible metallic conduit comprisingI a` vertically arranged xedconduit member having between its ends an outwardly facing inner'annular joint face, a sectional housing member enclosing the'innerportion of the xed member and composed of outer and inner sectionsseparably connected, the outer section having an inwardly facing'` outerannular joint face bearing on the flxed inner joint face and formingtherewith a running joint to provide` for rotation of the housingmember, the lower inner section of the housing member having aconducting bore constituting an extension of the bore of the fixedmember, the housing member having an annular internal shouldersurrounding the receiving end of its bore, said parts being soconstructed and arranged that when the faces of the running joint are incontact the end of the xed conduit member will be slightly spaced fromsaid annular shoulder to provide a passage way for Vsteamentering thespace between the xed conduit member and the housing, and ininimizefrictional resistance in the running joint `between the inner joint faceand the housing member.

.2. A ilexible metallic conduit as' specified by claim l, portions ofthe fixed member and the vhousing member constituting concentricwalls'of an annular packing chamber, and packing means in said chamberincluding inner and'outer spaced apart compressible packing rings and acompression spring interposed between said rings, the inner ringbeingexposed to and movable upwardly by steam entering said space, andadapted to act as a piston to compress the spring, augment its pressureon the upper ring and exert pressure Vthrough the spring on the outerring to compactl the latter closely against the outer end wall and outerzones of the sidewalls, and thereby prevent leakage of steam to therunning joint. MILTON P. MCLAUGHLIN.

